Once again it has been far too long since I last posted an update to this blog. Many things have happened in that time and I will now take an opportunity to offer up my attempt at a recap:
In the last week of February 2011, I loaded my car with my clothes, my computer, and a few other odds and ends and departed the KC area for the great western frontier… also known as California.
Three solid days of driving through the plains of Kansas and Eastern Colorado then into the foothills of the rockies and the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. The last stretch was to cross the El Cajon pass from Victorville, CA and down into Ontario CA. I finally arrived at Ric’s house (where I’d be quartered for the next five months) at around 8:30pm amid a cold rainfall.
The next morning found me in my new digs with no real idea as to my surroundings, but I quickly caught my bearings with Ric’s help and in the short time I was there, I managed to visit a number of places including: San Diego, Santa Monica, Hollywood/Beverly Hills, Malibu, Ojai, Sequoia National Forest, the Mojave Desert, Las Vegas (though I had been there a few times previously), and “the Valley”.
Also in those five months, I got a very good sense of what Southern California was all about, its food, it’s people, its neighborhoods, its culture. Unfortunately, the few bright spots were heavily outweighed by the negatives. Too many people living there and a great majority of them completely self-absorbed with no real work or social ethic to speak of. As far as I could tell, SoCal is the land of the endless sprawl of strip-malls, fast food, and car dealerships. I don’t call that “culture” and I began to lose my enthusiasm for being there.
And so it happened one day. I don’t know that it was any one thing that triggered it, but I awoke that day and realized that I missed my friends and family way too much and I had really begun to despise SoCal. With that I expressed my need to get back to KC to Ric and we agreed that while not “ideal”, we could still make the business work with me operating off-site.
Now I have been back in KC for about a week and half and am getting settled in and into the swing of things. Sometimes the grass seems greener on the other side of the fence, but this is one case where my desire to come back to the Midwest was absolutely what I needed!
In the future, I’ll go into greater detail about my California Adventure, but for now this quick recap will have to do. Onward and upward!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Less than a day
In roughly eighteen hours, it will be time to it the road for my great California migration. At this point I have most everything ready for departure. All that remains is to get some laundry done and get stuff loaded into the car.
I don't know what will await me out west, but I am sure that at the very least it will be a profoundly unique experience.
"Go west young man"
I don't know what will await me out west, but I am sure that at the very least it will be a profoundly unique experience.
"Go west young man"
Friday, February 18, 2011
Milestone – Part 3
I arose this morning to the fact that this would be my last day of work at my current employer. Three and half years of working here, almost the longest I’ve stayed at any job (the longest if you don’t count my internship).
It’s probably still too soon to say what I’m really taking away from my time here and what it will ultimately mean on the greater trajectory of my life. But I can at least say that I will walk away wiser, more experienced, and glad for some of the great friendships I have forged. I can also say that I leave here bloody, bruised, and ready for something new.
Tomorrow will be my last full day in the state of Iowa (as a resident anyway) and it will be capped off by a night of fun and frivolity. Mike and Kristin will be picking me up to go to dinner, just the three of us, and afterwards we head downtown to one of my favorite watering holes in Des Moines, the Hessen Haus. The plan is for my friends and co-workers to meet us there for drinks and good times, I’ve gotten affirmative RSVPs from most people, so the turnout should be pretty good.
Sunday morning will find me getting the last bit of stuff loaded into the car, my keys turned in to the apartment office, and then hitting the road to KC. I anticipate having a lot of very torn and mixed feelings along that three hour drive. A lot of false hopes and unrealized dreams will be in my rear view and in front will be the terrifying unknown.
Change is never easy, sometimes exciting, and usually what you aren’t expecting…
It’s probably still too soon to say what I’m really taking away from my time here and what it will ultimately mean on the greater trajectory of my life. But I can at least say that I will walk away wiser, more experienced, and glad for some of the great friendships I have forged. I can also say that I leave here bloody, bruised, and ready for something new.
Tomorrow will be my last full day in the state of Iowa (as a resident anyway) and it will be capped off by a night of fun and frivolity. Mike and Kristin will be picking me up to go to dinner, just the three of us, and afterwards we head downtown to one of my favorite watering holes in Des Moines, the Hessen Haus. The plan is for my friends and co-workers to meet us there for drinks and good times, I’ve gotten affirmative RSVPs from most people, so the turnout should be pretty good.
Sunday morning will find me getting the last bit of stuff loaded into the car, my keys turned in to the apartment office, and then hitting the road to KC. I anticipate having a lot of very torn and mixed feelings along that three hour drive. A lot of false hopes and unrealized dreams will be in my rear view and in front will be the terrifying unknown.
Change is never easy, sometimes exciting, and usually what you aren’t expecting…
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Such a letdown
Oh KU Jayhawks, on this day of all days, you decide to completely space out and let yourselves get steamrolled by K-State. Granted, Pullen is a freakin’ MONSTER of a player, but so what? That’s no reason you can’t hit your jumpers or snag any rebounds. You simply got lazy and got outplayed by an inferior team… we’ve seen this before (UNI anyone?)
I’ll be honest fellas, yesterday was kind of a bummer for me and I really could have used at least one bright spark to the day. Instead what I got was a dismal display of passiveness, laziness, and at times incompetence. Not exactly what I wanted right before going to bed.
But onward and upward right? Riiiiiggghhht….??????
I’ll be honest fellas, yesterday was kind of a bummer for me and I really could have used at least one bright spark to the day. Instead what I got was a dismal display of passiveness, laziness, and at times incompetence. Not exactly what I wanted right before going to bed.
But onward and upward right? Riiiiiggghhht….??????
Monday, February 14, 2011
Milestone Part 2
Friday evening was spent getting things packed and staged for the big move the following morning. Boxes began to pile up and my apartment began to look more and more bare. When I finally turned in, I knew that by the same time the next day my place would looked so empty that it would only barely betray any sign of actual human habitation.
The next morning I rose before the sun, showered, dressed and ran out to grab coffee for myself and for Marcus and Mike, the two friends who’d agreed to help me get loaded up. Marcus arrived with the truck as planned and we commenced to carry boxes to the truck. Mike was nowhere in sight and we both figured that he’d probably had a rough night and was feeling the pain this morning. We were correct. When he did finally arrived he looked pretty, well… ragged. We got the rest of my stuff loaded in very short order and capped it off with my couch and loveseat.
We bid Mike good day and then Marcus and I hopped in the cab of the truck and began our journey. The first stop would be to a house in West Des Moines where we’d be unloading the couch and loveseat to the guy that was purchasing them. Twenty minutes later, with $500 cash in my pocket we were finally ready for the long drive to KC.
Along the way we enjoyed some great discussions about a variety of topics, but largely about work and the future for each of us. Can’t say we arrived at any conclusions, but it was good to get his perspective on things. The next six months should prove interesting… for everybody.
In KC we were met by my friends Mike and Matt and within 30 minutes we had everything unloaded and stored away at my parents house. I know that helping your friends move is never a “fun” proposition, but I have to say, I do a damn good job of having everything packed and ready to go so my friends don’t have to waste any time dealing with an assorted mess. As far as moving goes, I’m a freaking professional!
By 1:30pm , Marcus and I were enjoying a good meal and some cold beers at Chilis before hitting the road to get back to Des Moines. Five hours after that, we were back in town and I was walking into my apartment. Empty, lonely, nothing except some clothes, a small television, and a couple of boxes. This would be “home” for the next week… though it hardly felt like any kind of home at all.
I contemplated stepping out and enjoying the nightlife one last time on my own, but my weariness from the day’s activities soon killed that notion and I thought it best to just stay in. I set up a collapsible captains chair and made a tall rum and coke and zoned out to the television for the rest of the night.
One of the little habits I had gotten into over the last three years was to enjoy a few strong drinks at home on a Saturday night while listening to music or watching a movie. On the one hand, it’s been a good alternative to going out on the town and getting myself into trouble. On the other, the fact that I’m drinking alone, at home, on a Saturday night (pretty much every week) is also kind of a sad commentary on how shallow my existence here in Des Moines has become.
I’ve never been afraid of being on my own and blazing my own trail, but my acceptance of solitude only goes so far. The fact is, I’ve become very lonely here and it’s definitely time to leave. I have a lot to offer and I deserve better than this.
The next morning I rose before the sun, showered, dressed and ran out to grab coffee for myself and for Marcus and Mike, the two friends who’d agreed to help me get loaded up. Marcus arrived with the truck as planned and we commenced to carry boxes to the truck. Mike was nowhere in sight and we both figured that he’d probably had a rough night and was feeling the pain this morning. We were correct. When he did finally arrived he looked pretty, well… ragged. We got the rest of my stuff loaded in very short order and capped it off with my couch and loveseat.
We bid Mike good day and then Marcus and I hopped in the cab of the truck and began our journey. The first stop would be to a house in West Des Moines where we’d be unloading the couch and loveseat to the guy that was purchasing them. Twenty minutes later, with $500 cash in my pocket we were finally ready for the long drive to KC.
Along the way we enjoyed some great discussions about a variety of topics, but largely about work and the future for each of us. Can’t say we arrived at any conclusions, but it was good to get his perspective on things. The next six months should prove interesting… for everybody.
In KC we were met by my friends Mike and Matt and within 30 minutes we had everything unloaded and stored away at my parents house. I know that helping your friends move is never a “fun” proposition, but I have to say, I do a damn good job of having everything packed and ready to go so my friends don’t have to waste any time dealing with an assorted mess. As far as moving goes, I’m a freaking professional!
By 1:30pm , Marcus and I were enjoying a good meal and some cold beers at Chilis before hitting the road to get back to Des Moines. Five hours after that, we were back in town and I was walking into my apartment. Empty, lonely, nothing except some clothes, a small television, and a couple of boxes. This would be “home” for the next week… though it hardly felt like any kind of home at all.
I contemplated stepping out and enjoying the nightlife one last time on my own, but my weariness from the day’s activities soon killed that notion and I thought it best to just stay in. I set up a collapsible captains chair and made a tall rum and coke and zoned out to the television for the rest of the night.
One of the little habits I had gotten into over the last three years was to enjoy a few strong drinks at home on a Saturday night while listening to music or watching a movie. On the one hand, it’s been a good alternative to going out on the town and getting myself into trouble. On the other, the fact that I’m drinking alone, at home, on a Saturday night (pretty much every week) is also kind of a sad commentary on how shallow my existence here in Des Moines has become.
I’ve never been afraid of being on my own and blazing my own trail, but my acceptance of solitude only goes so far. The fact is, I’ve become very lonely here and it’s definitely time to leave. I have a lot to offer and I deserve better than this.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Milestone - Part 1
Tonight I will be getting the rest of my stuff packed and staged in my apartment – ready for the 6:30am kickoff of moving madness. Marcus and Mike will be assisting here in Des Moines to get the truck loaded which will hopefully only take an hour at the most.
Once loaded up, we will make a brief stop in West Des Moines to drop off my couch and loveseat (in exchange for some sweet $$$). After that, it’s off to my parents place in KC where we will be met by my friends Mike, Matt, and Ryan. My goal is to churn and burn to get the truck unloaded so Marcus and I can hit the road back to Des Moines as quick as possible.
Once back, I’ll be left with a mostly empty apartment, save clothes for next week and basic toiletries and a captains chair so I’ll actually have something to sit in… how novel! I know full well that next week is going to suck beyond all reason. I’m not going to care about work during the day, and I’ll have just my lonely, empty apartment at night.
Next week will also begin the week of the “lasts” – “last Monday”, “last Tuesday”, etc. Hard to believe that two weeks from today I’ll be in the middle of my exodus from Iowa to California. A lot of mixed feelings are boiling up – excited at the new opportunity, but also very sad at some of the people I’m leaving behind.
Life is all about changes, and while they can be exciting, they can also be very depressing…
Once loaded up, we will make a brief stop in West Des Moines to drop off my couch and loveseat (in exchange for some sweet $$$). After that, it’s off to my parents place in KC where we will be met by my friends Mike, Matt, and Ryan. My goal is to churn and burn to get the truck unloaded so Marcus and I can hit the road back to Des Moines as quick as possible.
Once back, I’ll be left with a mostly empty apartment, save clothes for next week and basic toiletries and a captains chair so I’ll actually have something to sit in… how novel! I know full well that next week is going to suck beyond all reason. I’m not going to care about work during the day, and I’ll have just my lonely, empty apartment at night.
Next week will also begin the week of the “lasts” – “last Monday”, “last Tuesday”, etc. Hard to believe that two weeks from today I’ll be in the middle of my exodus from Iowa to California. A lot of mixed feelings are boiling up – excited at the new opportunity, but also very sad at some of the people I’m leaving behind.
Life is all about changes, and while they can be exciting, they can also be very depressing…
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
It's happening...
And so it begins. I am rounding third base and heading into the home stretch of my life here in Iowa.
Tonight I have a date with the load of boxes that arrived this morning and the tape dispenser. For the rest of the week it’ll be getting everything packed up and ready for Saturday.
I’m sure as my belongings are sorted, organized, and packed and my apartment begins to look more and more bare and empty, I’ll really begin to reflect on my time served here. I’ll undoubtedly think about how genuinely excited I was to move here for my new job and all the possibilities that came with it. Memories of traveling all across the country will come to mind along with the faces of all the people I’ve met along the way. Some people have been great to know, others not so much. A few I will be glad to stay in touch with, and more than a few that I will be happy to never see or hear from again.
I definitely gained some great professional experience and have had some remarkable successes in terms of delivering results to the team. In addition to some of the great people that I’ve worked alongside, I’ve also been privileged to know some fantastic clients. There are at least a handful that will stay in touch and I’ve gotten a lot of very warm response from almost everyone when they found out about my departure.
On the flip-side however, my personal life has been far from positive here. A few good friends, but not many, and even those that I do connect with are usually wrapped up in other things to really count on regularly.
As far as girls are concerned, I’ve been on many, many first dates here, and not a single one has amounted to anything. Not one. Hard to believe that in my former life outside of Iowa I actually had a reputation as a bit of a heartbreaker and a notorious ladies man. Not here though. I don’t know if there is something in the water or what, but it seems like I must be emitting some kind of repellant or something… “Danger Danger! Keep Away!” So on that score, I am definitely not going to miss this place.
All-in-all this whole move to California will be something of a rebirth for me and after the last few months, a fresh start is exactly what I need…
Tonight I have a date with the load of boxes that arrived this morning and the tape dispenser. For the rest of the week it’ll be getting everything packed up and ready for Saturday.
I’m sure as my belongings are sorted, organized, and packed and my apartment begins to look more and more bare and empty, I’ll really begin to reflect on my time served here. I’ll undoubtedly think about how genuinely excited I was to move here for my new job and all the possibilities that came with it. Memories of traveling all across the country will come to mind along with the faces of all the people I’ve met along the way. Some people have been great to know, others not so much. A few I will be glad to stay in touch with, and more than a few that I will be happy to never see or hear from again.
I definitely gained some great professional experience and have had some remarkable successes in terms of delivering results to the team. In addition to some of the great people that I’ve worked alongside, I’ve also been privileged to know some fantastic clients. There are at least a handful that will stay in touch and I’ve gotten a lot of very warm response from almost everyone when they found out about my departure.
On the flip-side however, my personal life has been far from positive here. A few good friends, but not many, and even those that I do connect with are usually wrapped up in other things to really count on regularly.
As far as girls are concerned, I’ve been on many, many first dates here, and not a single one has amounted to anything. Not one. Hard to believe that in my former life outside of Iowa I actually had a reputation as a bit of a heartbreaker and a notorious ladies man. Not here though. I don’t know if there is something in the water or what, but it seems like I must be emitting some kind of repellant or something… “Danger Danger! Keep Away!” So on that score, I am definitely not going to miss this place.
All-in-all this whole move to California will be something of a rebirth for me and after the last few months, a fresh start is exactly what I need…
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